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Adolescence can be the cruelest place on earth. It can really be heartless.  ( Tori Amos)

Simple rules adhered to when children are young can prevent more serious problems later.

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

"Rules without relationship leads to rebellion" (Josh McDowell)

Children mimic well. They catch what they see better than they follow what they hear.

Children do not develop on their own - they only develop within relationships.

Many clinicians find it easier to tell parents their child has a brain-based disorder than suggest parenting changes. Jennifer Harris (psychiatrist)

If there is no relationship - nothing else matters !

The challenge of adolescence is to balance the right of the parents to feel they are in charge with the need of the adolescent to gain independence.

We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

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Rewarding Behaviour

    Consistent, small rewards for small achievements work much better than large rewards for big goals, especially for younger children. After all, you wouldn’t expect your child to learn to read if you paid him no attention until he’d finished his first book. You would indicate your pleasure along the way.  Why set such a high expectation for behavioural self-control? Food and toys are often the first rewards that come to mind, but they […]

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Preventing Teen Suicide

FACTORS THAT FACILITATE SUICIDE                   – an impulsive personality                   – neurochemical imbalance                   – lack of strong family ties                   – social isolation                   – family history of suicide                   – recent suicide of someone else                   – easy access to method                   – agitated mental state         FACTORS THAT INHIBIT SUICIDE                    -strong family and social support                   – being around others                   – religious taboos against suicide                   – […]

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Depression & Discipline

CONFLICT AND DISCIPLINE   – conflict in a home with a teenager is inevitable – challenge for parents is to balance firmness with support and encouragement -parenting a depressed teen is particularly challenging                   – “walking on eggshells”                   – scared of pushing too far   TIPS 1. “Pause” button                                     – don’t get sucked into full-scale war                                     – exit & wait                                     – brain dead phrases                                     – reflectors 2. active listening 3. […]

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Suicide – Warning Signs

WARNING SIGNS   – depression – previous suicide attempts – suicide of someone close – talking of suicide – preoccupation with death – giving away possessions – saying “Good bye” to family & friends – cryptic statements “You won’t have to worry about me  anymore” – listening to sad music – drawing morbid pictures – statements indicating feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness – statements about being a burden to others – loss of interest in […]

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Sleep Problems (part 3 – the middle of the night screamer)

A child who regularly wakens in the night and won’t go back to sleep without  a parent’s help is SO DRAINING!  The following technique is worthy of your consideration if you have a middle of the night screamer and you are sure that there is nothing wrong with the child ie. ill. The Controlled Crying Technique Step # 1 – when the child wakens and begins to cry, let him cry for 10 minutes – […]

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ Lick Your Kids

  “Lick Your Kids” (figuratively not literally) (2 hours) First […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ Taming a Toddler

Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.

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See more of our workshops


Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“Our daughter was the joy of our life until she turned 13, then all hell broke loose. Rick helped us understand what was happening to her and we made some adjustments that helped us get through it. She’s now in University and doing well.”

(D.A. – St. Thomas)